Will Prince Louis ever be King and what titles will he have when Prince William is monarch?

Will Prince Louis ever be King and what titles will he have? It’s all-too-easy to wonder as you consider what lies in store for the Royal Family in the future.

The Prince and Princess of Wales’s youngest son might only be 5 years old but he’s already one of the most iconic royals. From his cheeky antics to his sweet bond with his siblings, Prince Louis always delights fans when he steps out in public. His brother Prince George is set to succeed their father as King one day and there will no doubt be big changes when Prince William is monarch too. In the same way some people might wonder whether Carole Middleton could become Queen Mother and if Prince George can be King as a child, there'll be curiosity over Prince Louis too.

He’s the third child of a future monarch and younger brother of another, so you might be intrigued over whether Prince Louis could ever be King himself. As we await Prince Louis’s next public appearance alongside his family, we have all the details about if we’ll ever see a King Louis I and what titles he will have one day.

Will Prince Louis ever be King? 

Prince Louis can be King, but probably won’t be as he’s only fourth in the royal line of succession. This means that for Prince Louis to actually become King of the United Kingdom, something would have to happen to Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince Louis would then be the next in line to the throne and it wouldn’t matter whether he was still a child or an adult at this point, he would become monarch. 

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However, if Prince Louis ascended the throne as a child, the Regency Act 1937 means that a Regent would be appointed and so essentially he’d be King in name only. According to Legislation.Gov, the “royal functions shall be performed in the name and on behalf” of them by a Regent and the Regent would traditionally be the adult next in the line of succession. 

This would be Prince Harry in Prince Louis’s case, but he would only fulfil the requirements necessary to be a Regent if he lived in the UK. After him would be Prince Andrew, though it’s unlikely that he would take this position for Prince Louis. 

He stepped back from duties in 2019 amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and him becoming Regent might well attract controversy. His eldest daughter Princess Beatrice is next in line to the throne and so it’s possible if Prince Louis ever became King as a child she could potentially become his Regent, if Prince Harry and Prince Andrew didn’t. 

What titles will Prince Louis have?

Prince Louis will continue to have his Prince title for the rest of his life, though at some point in the future when Prince William is King it’s possible he could take on the Duke of York title. This is currently held by Prince Andrew, though it can only be passed down the male line and he has two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. It’s understood that because Prince Andrew has no sons, the Dukedom of York could revert back to the Crown when he dies.

In this case, it then becomes free to redistribute to an eligible member of the Royal Family and tradition could suggest it’s destined for Prince Louis. The title Duke of York has often been granted to the second son of the monarch - like Prince Andrew and the late Queen Elizabeth’s father King George VI, who was Duke of York before his brother King Edward VIII abdicated.

If Prince William is King when the title reverts to the Crown, he could choose to uphold this tradition and bestow it upon Prince Louis. All of Queen Elizabeth’s children were granted additional titles at some point, however, both Prince Andrew and Prince Edward only received their Duke of York and Earl of Wessex titles when they got married, which was decades into her reign. 

In light of this it’s possible that Prince Louis could take on a new title at some point, but it might not be for several years. Alongside this, Prince Louis will likely also take on a number of honorary military titles as these are typically held by senior members of the Royal Family. Again, though, it would depend which ones are available to be granted at the time and aren’t already held by another royal. 

What titles does Prince Louis have now? 

Prince Louis’s title is currently Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Wales, with the ‘Wales’ coming from Prince William’s most senior title as Prince of Wales. When Prince William was referred to by his Duke of Cambridge title during Queen Elizabeth’s reign his children were Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of Cambridge to reflect this. Although it’s possible that he could remain Prince Louis of Wales when Prince William becomes King, it’s more likely he’ll be given some other kind of title once he’s the monarch’s son.